Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog-Chapter 618: By Blood

"Finally?" Kai exclaimed, internalizing what Grandma Bingbing had said.

What did she mean by 'finally?' It seemed like she was insinuating that they should have met before. But, how could that be when they had no sort of connection before the transmigration?

Aiden, too, was shocked. They looked at each other, silently asking if they knew the meaning behind this, but the two shared the same look of confusion.

With that, Grandma Bingbing sighed, placing her hands in front of her body. For someone who had such a confident personality, she looked awfully nervous.

"I didn't think I would be saying it this early," she started off. "However, when I heard that the two of you had met, I felt like the entire world had crashed."

She chuckled before continuing. "And now, you're even together."

"Grandma," Kai sighed. "What are you talking about? You're not making any sense."

Without another word, Grandma crossed the court and embraced Aiden.

Yes, that's right.

Aiden. Not Kai.

The sight felt wrong. Kai never knew about Grandma Bingbing in his past life, but she was acting so familiar with his old body. Aiden unconsciously leaned against Grandma Bingbing's embrace, missing the warmth of the old lady who had become his parent.

She placed her hands on Aiden's cheeks and squeezed them. "You've grown so big."

Then, she glanced down at his legs and frowned. "What happened to you?"

Aiden scratched the back of his neck. "It's a long story?"

"Grandma," Kai said before the conversation could escalate. "What are you talking about? Why are you talking to him? This is all so confusing!"

Grandma Bingbing bit her lip, taking a step back and looking at the two of them before letting out a deep breath.

"I know this will come out as a shock," she started off. "However, it is the truth."

"Kai. Kaiden," she called their names.

"How do you even know his name?" Kai exclaimed, looking more confused.

"It's because I've known him my whole life," she smiled.

"What do you mean?" Kai frowned.

"He is your brother."

The world seemed to tilt sideways. Kai's jaw slackened, and the words bounced around in his head, refusing to settle in his mind.

"What?"

"Your brother," Grandma repeated. "The two of you are brothers."

"Holy crap!" Aiden exclaimed. "Are we in a novel or something?"

Meanwhile, Kai shook his head, taking a step back. "No. That's impossible. The universe must be playing some kind of sick joke. Brothers? Since when?"

Grandma took a deep breath, her voice trembling as she began. "Since the very beginning. You two were just too young to remember."

Kai's knees felt weak, but he stayed standing. Aiden, on the other hand, had gone pale.

"If my legs worked, they would be trembling now, too," Aiden muttered, causing Kai to glare at him.

Grandma placed herself between them, her gaze going from Kai to Aiden and back again.

"Kai went with his dad. Kaiden went with his mom. This happened when the two of them separated."

"However, don't get it wrong. When your parents split up, it wasn't because they didn't love each other. In fact, it was because they loved each other too much."

Kai's throat tightened. "That doesn't make any sense."

"It was complicated," Grandma said softly. She clasped her hands together, her voice heavy with emotion. "Your father had dreams—dreams that couldn't fit into your mother's world. And your mother…she couldn't leave hers behind. They tried, Kai. They tried so hard. But in the end, they made the hardest decision anyone could make. They decided to let each other go, hoping that it would give you both the best lives possible."

Tears stung Kai's eyes, but he blinked them away. "So what? They just split us up? Like we were pieces of luggage?"

R𝑒ad latest chapt𝒆rs at freewebnovёl.ƈom Only.

Aiden winced, running a hand through his hair. "Grandma…I mean, ma'am...why didn't anyone tell us? Why now?"

Grandma's voice cracked. "Because there was never a right time. This is the first time I've seen the two of you together again. Your mom settled in Beijing, while your dad lived in Jilin with me. You guys are hours away....and they never contacted each other ever since."

Kai stared at the floor, his fists clenched. Then, did everything happen for a reason? Was the universe this smart to make the two of them transmigrate into each other's bodies?

"I don't believe this," he said finally.

"You might find it hard to believe," Grandma admitted. Her voice carried a quiet plea. "But it's the truth. I know it's a lot to take in, but please…please be well. Both of you."

Aiden looked over at Kai. "So what now? Are we just supposed to…what? Be brothers all of a sudden?"

Kai couldn't answer. His mind was racing too fast to form coherent thoughts.

Grandma walked toward Kai, but the latter flinched. The old woman's expression showed she was hurt. However, she understood. She really did. It was a lot to take in, especially when he was in the middle of such a tiring tournament.

"If you don't believe me, Kai, open the note I gave you before you left. Everything is in there."

Kai lifted his head and finally looked at his Grandma.

"Now, I have to go. I need to leave you two alone to think about what I've said."

"Where are you staying, Grandma?" Aiden asked. "I have a lot of stories."

Aiden seemed to accept it pretty well. Being in his new body, he had become more easy-going.

"Here's my number, grandson," Grandma Bingbing smiled. "You can tell me your stories any time."

"As for Kai," she said, walking toward him. "I'll be at the finals."

Kai pursed his lips. "You're not even sure if we'd make it."

"In my heart, you already did," she smiled. "After that, we'll talk more. I promise."

Kai looked at her, searching for answers in her eyes, but found only sadness and resolve. She turned to leave.

"I'll be in touch soon," she said before disappearing into the afternoon.